Integrating forest conservation with local governance

Efforts to integrate forest conservation with local development planning in the Philippines was conceptualized to address the problems in managing tropical forest areas in the Philippines, namely, 1) limited awareness and capacity of local government and local people on forest conservation and management; 2) less decentralized forest management and function, which contributes to forest fragmentation and insufficient protection of many important forest areas; and 3) limitations in the implementation strategies and structures of national level protected areas. As pilot, three important forest conservation areas, namely, Mt. Siburan in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, Mt. Poras in Sibalom, Antique and Mts. Kambinliw-Redondo in Loreto, Surigao del Norte [Philippines] were selected using a set of biophysical and socio-economic-political-cultural criteria. All these areas have remaining tropical rainforests that harbor endemic and threatened species of flora and fauna. Partnerships were established and Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) signed between the Project and the Local Government Units (LGUs) with endorsement from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Analysis of site-specific data and information suggests the need to integrate the identified forest conservation areas into the broader landscape to ensure better planning and management. The Mt. Siburan, Sablayan in Mindoro Occidental is a good example. Its forests are confined within the jurisdiction of the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) under the DOJ. Outside SPPF's jurisdiction, DENR have a) Community Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA) with the local community, b) Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park, c) FB Harrison Wildlife Reserve, d) indigenous people's Certificate on Ancestral Domain Claim (CADC), and e) corridor of remnant forests that harbors the endangered Tamaraw between the boundaries of SPPF and Mts. Iglit Baco NP. On top of these, the Province of Occidental Mindoro and the Municipality of Sablayan have their own legislations and policies, development and land use plans. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) also comes into the picture as they build dams on rivers coming from the forests for local communities use. For the Mt. Siburan forest conservation area to have a cohesive plan and effective management, a) the current land Use Plan of Sablayan should be rationalized vis-a-vis forest conservation, b) the LGU legislations and policies regarding natural resource uses should complement those of the DENR, DOJ-SPPF, NIA and CADC holders, and/or vice-versa, c) the Tamaraw "corridor" between the SPPF and Mt. Iglit-Baco NP boundaries should be integrated into the plan with participation of the DENR, SPPF, LGU, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and d) propose the disestablishment of the non-functional F.B. Haribon Wildlife Reserve. Initial directions for the forest conservation areas of Mts. Kambinliw-Redondo in Loreto, Dinagat Island and Mt. Poras in Sibalom, Antique are also presented